Paracetamol Availability and Overdose in Ireland

Study aims: to establish whether the hospital admission rate due to paracetamol overdose in Ireland dropped since the introduction of revised conditions for the supply and sale of paracetamol in 1997 and to determine compliance of non-pharmacy outlets with these conditions of sale. Design: a) retrospective review of national data on hospital admissions due to paracetamol poisoning between 1993 and 1999 b) attempted purchase of paracetamol from 100 non-pharmacy outlets in Dublin (48 tablets to be purchased either as 2 x 24 packs or 4 x 12 packs)